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A fulfilled employee is a productive employee . . . and a magnet for attracting loyal customers who appreciate the extra effort and enthusiasm.

From employee-friendly national brands like Starbucks and Google, to local businesses that earn word-of-mouth reputations as great places to work, company cultures that cultivate a highly supportive environment set off a positive chain of events. Employees at these companies:

Believe from day one that they can make a difference

Broaden the boundaries of their jobs to go beyond what’s merely “required”

Take ownership of ideas and solutions that touch off positive change

Spark major strides forward in responsiveness to customer needs

Enlightened companies have discovered that giving their people the tools, resources and encouragement to succeed doesn’t just produce happier, more proactive employees. It generates superior customer service and a ripple effect of good will that results in strong customer loyalty.

Companies with robust employee cultures fueling their success often share several characteristics:

Thorough screening – Knowing that the right employee can not only fill a role but be an ambassador for their business, they give interviewing and screening top priority.

Team collaboration – With teamwork in the game plan, everybody wins – the company, the employees and especially customers, who benefit from an enriched pool of knowledge and more effective products and services.

Recognition and reward – Companies that consistently validate employees to increase the satisfactions of a job well done find that their employees go out of their way to consistently validate customers and keep them coming back for more.

When an organization is truly a great place to work, it emanates throughout the firm. It’s not something that can be purchased or happens by accident. It takes time. But the return on investment in customers who are drawn to employees working to exceed their expectations will bring great rewards for as long as you’re in business.

Sharpen your employee focus if you need to. Then get the word out on your company culture and watch how eagerly customers embrace who you are and what you have to offer.

Companies that intentionally develop their culture and hire and train people well-suited to perpetuate that culture wind up with productive and enthusiastic employees who attract other productive and enthusiastic employees who attract appreciative customers who attract other appreciative customers. If it weren’t so disciplined and logical it would almost seem like some mystical law of attraction at play. More companies need to take this proactive approach to creating employee-driven organizational cultures.